Team SHALVA in Jerusalem International Marathon

What an Experience!

Wow, it was here already, after months of planning,
March 1st 2013 was upon us.
After a fabulous Team Shalva Pasta Party on Thursday night our runners
boarded busses for the Crown Plaza and Jerusalem Gardens Hotels. Friday turned out to be a beautiful day and
perfect weather for a marathon. 7am our
first 13 runners were off in the full marathon.
8:30am 54 runners lined up for the half marathon. 10:30am our largest group of runners, 139
people, began their 10k race. A few
moments later the rest of our 240 runners were off for the 5k run.

It was a fantastic event with 17,000 runners
throughout but Team Shalva made a tremendous impact with our bright yellow
t-shirts, our runners were spotted everywhere.We had dozens of fans on the sidelines cheering on Team Shalva and
giving them that extra push to keep smiling as they ran up the hilly streets of
Jerusalem.As every runner crossed the
finish line they were greeted by wonderful Team Shalva volunteers cheering them
on and escorting them to the Team Shalva tent.Afterwards everyone made their way to the Team Shalva Victory Party in
the Crown Plaza where we held our own awards ceremony in which every individual
runner received a medal from a Shalva youngster.This helped make the connection between
months of fundraising for a cause and actual interaction with the people
receiving their aid.Another significant
part of the day was the famed 800 meter race in which Shalva children themselves
had the chance to participate in the marathon.Team Shalva runners and volunteers held the hands of children with
disabilities and together they crossed their finish line.It was a moving sight and gave Team Shalva
runners a sense of pride in what they accomplished for Shalva children and
their families.

We want to thank our
Team Shalva runners for all their tireless efforts and we can't wait to see you
back in Jerusalem for Team Shalva 2014!